Feb. 15, 2007--In conjunction with Delta Blues Symposium XIII: The Sixties, ASU's English and Philosophy Department welcomes Scott Ely and Natasha Trethewey to campus on March 30-31. Award-winning fiction writer Ely will read from his work Friday night, March 30, at 7:30 p.m. in the Grand Hall, Fowler Center. He will conduct a fiction workshop Saturday morning, March 31. Acclaimed poet Trethewey will read with Mr. Ely on Friday and conduct a poetry workshop on Saturday morning. The reading and the workshops are free and open to the public.

An MFA graduate of the creative writing program at the University of Arkansas, Mr. Ely is presently an associate professor of English at Winthrop University in South Carolina. He has published fiction in such journals as Southern Review, Shenandoah, and Arkansas Review. The author of three story collections, Overgrown with Love, The Angel of the Garden, and Pulpwood, he has also published the novels Starlight, Pit Bull, Eating Mississippi, and the recent Song for Alice Loom. His work has been published in translation in Poland, Japan, Italy, Holland, Germany, and Israel.

A native of Mississippi, Ms. Trethewey has degrees in creative writing from Hollins College and the University of Massachusetts. Her poetry has appeared in numerous publications, including Agni, Callaloo, and Gettysburg Review, as well as in her three books: Domestic Work, Bellocq’s Ophelia and Native Guard. The winner of fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts, Ms. Trethewey is an associate professor of English at Emory University.

Both writing workshops take place on Saturday morning, March 31. Scott Ely will meet with students from 8:30 to 10:45 in the Student Union, Room 1909. Ms. Trethewey will meet individually with students starting at 9:30 in the lobby of Room 1909.

Workshop participants must pre-enroll by submitting either 10-15 pages of fiction or 3-5 poems. Entries must be postmarked by Wednesday, Feb. 28. Mark envelopes "Poetry" or "Fiction," and send name, address, phone number, and e-mail address along with manuscript copy to:

Creative Writing Workshops
Box 1890
Dept. of English and Philosophy
Arkansas State University
State University, AR  72467-1890